SAMANTHA QIAO

WINDOW ROOM

Exhibition dates : 8 - 20 September 2026
Opening reception : Wed 9 Sep 2026, 6:00 - 8:30pm

Samantha Qiao explores the rhythm of urban life by capturing the hidden narratives of our shared streets. Her work has been exhibited in galleries across Wellington, Auckland and Melbourne for over a decade.

This year marks a shift in her work away from traditional realism into a cubist style – more geometric and fragmented – with multiple simultaneous perspectives. This directly engages with the unique architectural Melbourne landscape, translating the city's physical structure into abstract experiences. Based on this practice she has expanded her repertoire to include figurative art – self-portrait, “Modernist Samantha”, was exhibited at the recent VAS Portrait Exhibition.

Her work is inspired by the Cubist visual language of Picasso and Delaunay, but her unique style creates a sense of rhythm out of the contours between colours and shapes. Her relationship with Cubism led her to create simultaneous art with a curved and fragmented grid which conveys motion through static images.

Moreover, Samantha utilises a unique oil technique involving blended colours to create a sense of transparency informed by her extensive experience as a watercolour artist. She rejects traditional methods and creates art with translucent watercolour-like qualities.